Kegging for beginners

[Bayern1987]

Right fellow home brew troopers...

I have been making my own all grain beer for over a year successfully completing around 15 batches (5 gallon) and I am ready to take the next step into kegging... however I am taking a complete walk in the dark and don't know where to start...

I was wanting to do at least 19L batches and would like a fairly cheap but cost effective and long term setup...

Basically where to I start? Is it best to stat with a cornelius keg and should I go for ball or pin lock? What does psi pressure mean and how would everything work? What else would I need and would this be a good deal and viable thing to start with? https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32248...VEpftCh3kvQjxEAQYESABEgIM2PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

And what would I need to get in addition to this? Does sodastream Co2 bottles for both ball and pin lock?

I am looking to spend around £100 all in however more if necessary.

Thank you in advance
Thanks

 

[VikeMan]

Is it best to stat with a cornelius keg and should I go for ball or pin lock?

Corny kegs (and/or their modern knockoffs) are the way to go. For pin vs. ball lock, I prefer ball lock, mainly because they have a manually pull-able PRV, and pin locks normally don't. There are also slight differences in height and width. But I think the most important thing might be to pick one or the other and stick with that choice. Managing replacement parts and maintenance is a little easier that way.

What does psi pressure mean and how would everything work? What else would I need and would this be a good deal and viable thing to start with?

PSI means pounds per square inch, and it's a measure of pressure being exerted by the CO2, as reduced by a regulator. The PSI numbers are important for both carbonation and serving.

I would highly recommend reading "A Bottler's Guide to Kegging." It will answer most of your questions and give a baseline to ask the questions you don't even know you have yet.

And what would I need to get in addition to this? Does sodastream Co2 bottles for both ball and pin lock?

You're going to need bigger CO2 bottles than (what I think) sodastream uses. Probably a 5 lb tank (meaning a tank that holds 5 lbs of CO2) or larger.